Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-06-24
ONE DIAMOND RING.

doorstep of a country farmhouse. where
the great sweetbriar by the path sent its
fragrant breath all over them, and the
wind stirring daintily among the apple
blossoms sent d shower of petals down
upon the two heads that were bent close
together examining with bright. happy
faces the diamond ring that was sparkling
upon the hand of the girl whom we shall
call Mile Knowls.
1T is perfectly lovely" she says, hold
ing up her hand so that the sunlight fell
upon it more fully. II have often longed
for a diamond ring, but never expected
to possess one. Indeed. l fear it is rather
too fine for a plain little farmers daughter
like me-"
1T is not half good enough for you"
replied Will Marston. Il only wish that
l could have offered a finer one, and l
might, l suppose, if l had chosen to
purchase it with money that my father
gives me.
Father is very generous, but | wanted
to earn u engagement ring, and accord
ingly astonished all my friends by my
sudden taste for work. l must say that
l found it vastly more difficult earning
and saving money than spending that
which my father earned and saved, but 1
kept to my determination, and l fancy
you will prize the ring the more, know
ing that it constitutes the first real labor
that your lazy sweetheart ever did"
'Of course l shall prize it a hundred
times more for what you have told me-, "
said Mile. Il I'm proud as a princess
both of my lover and my ring. / wonder
what Aunt Sarah will say now with a
little triumphant laugh.
''Oh, she will doubtless pronounce the
stone glass. and worthless like your lover.
It's really too bad, Mile, that your re-
spected aunt has such an aversion to me.
l a tried in vain to gain a smile of
appreciation from her grim lips" And
the young man drew a sigh of mock
desnair.
Mile laughed. "Aunt Sarah is rather
prejudiced against masculines in general"
she said.
''And college boys in particular"
added Will,
Across Miles happy face a slight
shade passed as she replied:
''Aunt Sarah is very practical in her
ideas. and She thinks you will forget all
about me when you graduate and go
home
Nonsense, Mile" said Will: you
know that shall never forget you. A
year from the time I graduate l shall
come back for a bonnie little bride, if
you have not in the meantime changed
your mind. While l am absent o must
wear this little ring, and remember,
darling. that love Won"
''Millie!' cried a sharp voice, come
in and set the table for dinner"
With a sigh the young girl rises. 1t is
so hard to be obliged to drop from
dreams of earthly paradise to the mum
dane work of setting a table for dinner.
The little sitting room, with it's bright
rag carpet and chintz covered rocking
chairs, never looked so cheap and COM
mon to her before, and the big, airy
kitchen, with its whitewashed walls and
spotless floor, seemed just then beneath
her.
care you going somewhere, Miller"
said Mr.. Knowls, as he seated himself
at the table and observed that Mile had
on her pink lawn dress instead of the
dark calico that she was in the habit of
wearing mornings.
''No, SIR" answered Mile, her cheeks
outlying her dress in color. She knew
that Aunt Sarah's dreaded remarks were
coming, and it was hard to sit still and
hear her hearts choice abused before her
father.
Dear old father! Mile had loved him
better than anybody in the world since
her mother died, but now she had a new
idol; not that she loved the old the less,
only she did wish that father would not
insist upon sitting down to the table in
his shirt sleeves-a blue checked shirt.
too.
That young college dandy has been
hanging around here all the morning, y"
said Aunt Sarah a little s~pitefully. Il
guess Mile expects him, anyway she
kept looking out of the window all the
time she was washing the dishes, and
when she see him coming she rushed up
stairs and put on her new lawn dress and
then went out to the gate to meet him. l
guess you'll see the day, Nathaniel, that
you'll be sorry you didn't hear to me and
not send Mile up town to school. / said
it would spoil the girl, and it has. She
hasn't been worth a cent to work since
she came home.
"lf she amt porting over a book she is
thinking about her beaux and takes nc
kind of interest in her work.
"Deestrick school is good enough for a
farmers daughter, and it's a bad idee to
let the child get the notion into her silly
head hat she is going to he a great lady.
That boy (contemptuously) is only anus
ing himself making love to her"
Commencement day soon arrived.
Mile went to see her lover graduate, and
was perfectly sure that it was the
grandest Grafton eve delivered. Her
rapturous spirits were dampened only by
the thought of the coming separation
from her hero. When the time came
for saying good-by she tried to be very
brave and trustful. All their vows Of
love and faithfulness were hurriedly
whispered over again.
"a year will soon pass, my darling; be
patient and true" were Will Marston's
parting words. Sweet, hopeful words,
tbat cbaaraI Milia,c baart. hut ,rlox, l.